Golf club



w. 8.870111- GOLF CLUB.

. APPLICATIONHLEDJUNEIZ,192C. 1,409,612. v P tented Mar- 14, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1..

W. B. STOUT.

GOLF CLUB.

APPLICAUON HLED JUNE 12. 1920.

Patented Mar. 14,1922.

4 SHhETS-SHEET 3.

W. B. STOUT.

GOLF CLUB.

APFLICATICIH FILED JUNE 12. 12204 Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

4 sHEErssHEU 4.

VII/l/l/l/A ii Ill/limb!!! T 0 all wihom it may concern:

pft l iii i FFICE.

WILLIAM B. s-rorrtr, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

GOLF CLUB.

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM B. STOUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Golf Club, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to games of golf, more particularly to minature games of golf and to clubs for usefin playing such games.

Miniature golf courses may be laid out indoors or out and may includeall the features of a full sized course such as driving-tees, fair greens, put-ting greens, holes and such hazards as bunkers, pits, water hazards and the like.

Since these elements of the game are all of reduced size, it is desirable that the implements used in driving the golf balls, also of reduced size, about the course be of .a size proportionate with the balls used and the course upon which the game is played. On the other hand-the implement is to be 'used by human players and therefore should be of a size proportionate with such players.

Theprincipal object of this invention is to provide a club for playinggolf, comprising-means tobe held by a human player while taking-his stance in the position naturally vassumed by a human player in addressin a full sized golf ball,'and relatively movable means carried by said first mentioned means for driving a golf ball of whatever size.

A. further object of the invention is to pro- I vide means operable from the player-held means for controlling the relative movement of the ball-driving means.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a club for playing miniature golf comprising a shaft to be held by a human player and a mechanical golf-player carried by said shaft and cont-rolled therefrom.

Another feature of-the invention is a me chanical golf-player for driving'miniature golf balls under the control of a human player and for simulating'in its movements those of a human golfeplayer.

A further feature of the invention is the provision in a golf club of a shaft and a head movable relatively thereto.

The invention broadly stated consists in the provision at the lower end of a shaft or handle, of a mechanical golf-player comprising a mechanical golf-player comprising Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 388,410.

swing of the toy club. The shaft is preferably of a size approximating-that of a, full sized golf club and is substantially in alignmentwith the toy club held by the mechanical, golf-player, at the time when said toy club is in position to strike the miniature ball. Thus a player in using a golf club designed in accordance with this invention takes the position naturally assumed inaddressing a golf ball and thereby is enabled to apply to the miniature game such skill in directing his shots as he has ac uired in the full sized ame.

he invention is susceptl le of various embodiments one of which for the sake of clear,-

ness is described in detail below, but it is to be understood that the following description is not to define the scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose. j

The preferred embodiment of the inven tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view in side elevation partly in section 'of a golf club comprising a shaft and a. mechanical golf-player carried thereby.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the club as seen in the direction of the arrows in Figure 1, part being a section along the line 22 of said figure, the head of the club being in position to strike a ball.

Figure 3 is a view similar to FigureyQ showing the toy gblf club in its normal position.v

Figure i is a perspective view of the mechanical golfiplayer and supporting shaft.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the gol '-player partly in section showing the mounting of the arms.

Figure 6 shows a. modification of the mounting shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view showing one method of holding the toy club in place.

Figure 8 shows a toy driving-iron for use by the mechanical player.

Figure 9 shows a toy mid-iron.

Figure'13 is a sectional view of one of the.

holes usedin-the miniature game.

Figure let is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing modified means for controlling the movement of the mechanical golf-player.-

Figure 15 is .an elevation of the club as seen in the direction of the arrows in Fig.

'14, part being a section along the line 15-1.5 of said figure, and

Figure 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15'

.4 showing the toy club in the position occupied just after a ball has been driven.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is'shown shaft 14 to be held by one playing, and

carrying at its lower end a mechanical golfplayer designated in general A. The golfplayer has been shown as a manikin having rigid legs 12, a trunk 16, head 17, and movable arms 13, arranged to carry a toy club 18, having a head 34, all of which parts may be of wood, metal orother suitable material,

It isto be understood that the mechanical player is shown as a manikin merely for the sake of appearance and that it might as well take any other conventional form, such, for example, as that shown in Fig. 11.

Referring now to Figure 1 it is seen that the legs and feet provide a suitable base to support the club andthat with the feet flat on the ground the head 34 of the clubwill be raised just the proper distance from the ground to give the best results in'striking the golf ball. Piercing the *trunk 16 is as'pindle 15 to the outer end of which the head 17 may be threaded or attached in any desired manner. The arms 13 may be i1ite-' gral with a drum member 22, which is rotatably mounted on the spindle 15 and held in place thereon by suitable means such as the head 17, or the arms may be secured to said drum in any desired manner.

A retractile spring 19 normally holds the arms 13 in the position shown in Figure 3.

If desired a rubber band or other retracting means may be substituted for the spring 19. Any suitable means may be used for-controlling the rotation ofthe arms 13-about the spindle 15 such as a cordor wire 21 which is woundaround the drum 22 and attached at one end to a pin 27 positioned on the surface of said drum. The cord 21 extends through an aperture in the trunk 22 and a slot in the lower end of the shaft 14: to the upper portion of the shaft where it is secured to a trigger 20. The trigger 20 is pivotally mounted at the point 28 and passes through a suitable aperture in the shaft 14' as is apparent in Figure 2. In Figures 14,

35 which is in mesh with the teeth of a rack 'the bearing surface of the trunk 16.

joint as shown in Figure 7 15 and 16 there is shown modified means for controlling the movement of the arms 13 and club 18. As shown the drum 22 is provided at its central portion with a pinion 36 carried at one end of'a wire-rod 3?. The rod 37 extends upward tl'irough the shaft 1%, which may be of tubularconstruction when such a rod is used, to a suitable slot cut near the lower end of the handle portion of said shaft, The upper end of the rod 37 is bent to project through the slot below the handle, and is looped to a size suitable to receive the forefinger of a player. Thus a player insertinghis fore-finger in the looped end of the rod 37 may move the rod back and forth to swing the club 18 through an arcuate path as indicated in Figures 15 and 16, having at all times direct control over the move-v ment of the club.

It will be obvious that this arrangement renders unnecessary the employment of any spring means to control the movement of the club in either direction, such movement being responsive to the to-an-d-fro movement of the rod 37. v

Figure 5 shows a modification ofthe mounting for the arms 13 described in connection with Figure 1 in that roller bearings 23 are provided between the drum 22' and Fi ure 6 shows still another modified mountiITg for the arms in which the drum 22 is loosely collared on the spindle 15 and is supported at either end by ball bearings 24 which run in ball races formed by the rings 29 and 31, the disc 30 and the collar 32. As shown the ring 29 is setin a recessed portion of the drum 22, and cooperates with the disc 30 which is rigidly secured at the outer end 0f 1 5 the spindle 15 to form one ball race, while the ring 31 which is set at thebottom of the recessed portion of the trunk 16 cooperates with the collar 32 at the'lower end of the drum22't'o form the other race for the ball bearings 24.

A single club. 18 may be provided for use by the mechanical player in which case it is preferably made of the .same material as, and integral with, the arms 13, as seen 15 when it is not sought to give the mechanicalplayer a human appearance. When it is desired to provide clubs of various-characters such as those shown in Figures 8, 9

and 10 they may be of wood or metal and may be secured to the arms by a bayonet or in any other suitable manner.

The hole shown inFigure 13 consists of a depression, of diameter propertionate with rename the balls used, in the upper plane of a frustum of which the surface'is inclined at a small angle with the ground.

In playing. the game of miniature golf a ball of suitable size as shown in Figure l may be set on the ground or on a suitable tee and a player then taking his stance as in addressing a full sized golf ball-manipulates the club so that the mechanical player,

now taking his direction as in the'full sized game, releases the tension on the trigger 20 allowing the spring 19 to draw the club 18 into the position shown in Figure 3. As the trigger 20 is pulled the cord 21 in 'unwinding from the drum 22 rotates the drum and swings the club through its are under the direct control of the trigger. Thus a player desiring to drive may inserta driving'iro-n or cleek as shown in Figure 8 in the arms 13 and by giving the trigger 20 a-sharp pull drive the ball a considerable distance with a relatively flat trajectory. Following the ball as in the regular game and selecting a club suitable to its lie he may again advance the ball towards the hole for which he is playing and may repeat this operation'varying the clubs to suit the obstacles and hazards encountered until he holes-out.

It will be seen that with the construction provided the mechanical player makes the same full free stroke as isused by a human player, including as much follow through as the human player cares to give the toy club. Vtlhere a single club integral with the,

arms is used its driving face may be progressively inclined toward the shank so that if the ball is hit near the toe of the club it will have a flat trajectory while it hit nearer the shank it will be lofted.

It will be seen, therefore, that this invention provides a mechanical golf-player -which is at a'll'times under the control of a human player whocarries it about in the same manner that he would carry any other golf club and which may be used by human player with as great facility as any other club.

V'Yhile'the preferred embodimentof the invention has been described with much articularity it will be understood that the in- .vention is not limited to the precise form sired size ranging from the miniature to full-sized or larger. Thus the invention may be applied to a'golf club of any; size having a head movable relatively to the shaft. Such a club might be used in a full sized game of golf for short shots, as in putting, or for other suitable purposes.

A What is claimed'is:

1. A golf-club comprising a shaft 311'". ranged tobe held by a human player while taking thestanch naturally assumed in addressing a full sized golf-ball, a ball-driving headmovable relatively thereto, and means operable from the shaft for moving said. head. 7 p 2. A golf-club comprising a shaft arranged to be held by a human player while taking the stance natural y assumed in addressing a full sized gol -ball, a ball-drivinghead variably movable relatively there- .to, and means controlled from said shaft for moving said head. I

3. A golf-club comprising a shaft, a balldriving head movable relatively thereto, and means controlled from said shaft for moving said head through an arcuate path'in either of two directions.

4:. A golf-club comprising a shaft, a. balldriving head movable relatively thereto, and means associated with said shaft and variably controllable therefrom for moving said head to strike a ball.

5. A. golf-c 'ub comprising in combination a shaft, a sup orting base therefor, a variably-operable shank comprising ball-driving means pivotally mounted on said base, and

means controlled from said shaft for var'iably controlling the operation of the said shank. '6. A golf-club comprising in combination shaft, a supporting base therefor, a shank ','pivotally mounted on said'base and movable through aposition substantially in alignment with said shaft, a head on said shank, and means for moving said shank. I

'7. A golf-club comprising in combination a shaft having asupporting base, a drum rotatably mounted on said base, armscarried by said drum, and means controlled from said shaft for rotating said drum in either i of two directions v v 8; A golf-club comprising in combination a shaft having a supporting base, a drum rotatably mounted on said base, a pinion mounted on said drum, and a rack-member controlled from said shaft and cooperating with said pinion to positively rotate said drum in either of two directions."

9. A golf-club comprising in combination a tubular shaft having a supporting base, a

drum rotatably mounted on said base, a pinion mounted on said drum, a rod extending upward through said shaft, and a rack-carried by said rod and in mesh, with said p1nion, reciprocation of said rod operating to revolve said drum tions.

10. A club for in either of two direcplaying miniature golf comprising a shaft arranged to be held by a humounted on said shaft for controlling the peration of said player.

11. In a club for playing miniature golf,

the combination with a shaft having a supporting-base comprising legs and feet, a trunk mounted on said legs, a toy golf club, arms mounted on said trunk to carry said club and a head to hold said arms on said trunk.

'12. In a club for the combination base therefor comprising legs, a trunk mounted on said legs, arms rotatably mounted on said trunk, a head associated with said trunk and a toy golf-club carried bysaid arms, said shaft extending upwardly and rearwardly from saidtrunk while in playing position.

l3. Ina club for the combination with a shaft, a supporting base therefor comprising legs and feet, a

playing miniature golf,

trunk mounted on said legs, arms rotatably mounted on said trunk, a head to secure said plane.

with a shaft, a supportingplaying miniature. golf,

14C. 111 a club for playing miniature golf,.

thecombination with a shaft, a supporting base therefor comprising legs and feet, a trunk mounted on said legs, arms rotatably mounted on said trunk,a. head to secure said arms to said trunk, and a toy golf club detachably mounted on said arms.

15. In a club for playing miniature golf, the combination with a shaft, a supporting base therefor, relatively movablearms pivotally mounted on said base in the same plane with said shaft and means for moving said arms through an arcuate path in said 16. In a club for v the combinationwith a shaft having a supporting base comprising legs, a trunk mounted on said legs,"a toy golf club, and arms movable relatively to said shaft to carry said toy club.

17. In a club for playing miniature golf, the combination with a'shaft, a supporting base therefor comprising legs, a trunk mounted on said legs, a. spindle, arms rotatably mounted on said spindle, a head secured to said spindle, and a toy golf club detachably mounted on said arms.

WILLIAM 3e. s'ronr.

playing miniature golf, 

